Darling Whispers of the Flame
by GlassPrinceRiku
Summary: What happens when Axel invites Roxas to a fireworks show? The fire will ignite, of course. AkuRoku, read and review guys!


A/N: Yep, it's me again, your very own dear Prince Riku. So what do you say? Ready to read another one-shot from your own little porcelain doll Riku-Baby? Right, right. This one's an Akuroku, okay? And if someone could—tell me what a C2 is? I know I asked last time, but no one told me, but I did find someone else who didn't know. Does _anyone_ know? Anyway, this is a long one-shot, but I hope you like it.

**Darling Whispers of the Flame**

"Roxy, Roxy, Roxy, you need to come with me and Riku, watch the fireworks with us," Axel's voice was a low purr, egging on the younger blonde, "Come on, come on…" The redhead was leaning over, his fire-like hair sweeping against his lithe figure. He was tall, lanky, and almost disproportionate with his long arms and legs with large hands and feet to match.

Roxas frowned, feeling as if he'd rather stay home and bask in all his emo glory, "Axel, no… I want to stay home tonight. The fireworks aren't anything special."

"But they are, Roxy, me and Riku have something."

Roxas stared, "What?" He made a puzzled face, "What did you do?"

"Something special, Roxy, you need to come to find out." Axel paused, his eyes somewhat glazed over, "Oh—and Riku wants you to bring your brother. Sora, not Cloud."

"Why would I bring Cloud?"

"I don't know, it just seemed good to specify. So?"

"So? What? You think I—"

"Oh, come one, Roxy!! You have to! For Sora! For Riku!"

Finally, the blonde sighed and ran a pale hand through his fair shaded hair, "Yeah, yeah, I'll be there. When is it?"

His feline eyes sparkling, Axel grinned, "Starts at seven, okay, Roxy?"

"Would you stop calling me that?" He snapped, rather aggravated, "I'll be there. But so help me, if we get arrested for something you and your idiot friends did—"

"Don't worry, don't worry, everything will be fine, okay, Roxy?" Axel didn't wait for a response, simply racing from the grassy high school campus.

Roxas let out another slow sigh and continued to walk home. The wind blew softly around him, and he thought of Axel, the flaming psychopath. He was a total pyromaniac, lighting fires at lunchtime, carrying a lighter everywhere when he didn't smoke. The wind was like Axel, whispering silent things in Roxas's listening ear. That's the way it'd always been, ever since he'd met the redheaded maniac. Communicating only with soft breaths like fire and those feral cat eyes that burned into him. Axel was the fire. Axel was the fire, and Roxas had admitted to himself long ago that he was the masochist who wanted to keep touching the dangerous flickering red.

"Roxas!!" A pounding of heavy yellow sneakers behind him, and Sora was right up next to the blonde, panting, "Hey, hey, Axel ran into me, are we going, Rox?"

"Yeah, Sora. We are. Are you even friends with Riku?"

Silence ensued as the brunet blushed, "I… sort of. Why?"

"Nothing." Roxas opened the door to his home and heaved his bag into a chair in the spotless kitchen, "Mom, we're home!!"

"Roxy, honey, come here for a second!" The voice was a warbled yell from the basement, followed by a loud crash of hollow metal.

With a sigh, the boy sauntered downstairs, "Is it broken?" He asked, gesturing to the dryer that was pitifully shaking from the abusive punch it had just taken. It sat alone in the middle of the basement, the cord dragging feeble bits of grayed lint behind it, as if scraping for one last chance to reach the plug-in and prove itself. Roxas shook his head, what a weird child he was becoming.

"It quit again, I need you to fix it."

"Again," Roxas said quietly.

His blonde mother raised an eyebrow, "You have a look in your eyes, what are you thinking about, Rox?"

He shrugged, "Nothing, Mom, I'm fine," he leaned down to look at the pathetic piece of sad machinery, and a dismal sort of depression hit him, "What happened this time?"

"Just stopped is all. We need to get a new one. Forget it, that's what I'll do; I'll just get a new one. Don't bother fixing it." She brushed the lint off of her sleeves and waited for Roxas to respond.

He thought about protesting, he truly did. It made him sad to think of just tossing the poor metal box away, for a shiny, new, cocky one. He related to the heartbreaking dryer, and it was precisely why he kept his mouth shut as his mother walked away. He really was a piece of work, his mentality comparing himself to a failing broken dryer.

"It's almost five, Roxas!!" It was Sora's soft voice, from above, calling out as a warning. Why would he do that? They didn't need to be there until seven.

"Where are you two going, hun?" His mother rested a soft palm on his shoulder and he sighed a reluctant response.

"To the fireworks show, that's all. Axel and Riku wanted us to come." Roxas sauntered away, only to be dragged upstairs by an eager and excited brunet.

"Come on, Roxas, what are we going to wear?"

"'We'?" He asked blankly, "I refuse to wear anything matching you, you know that, right?"

Sora shook his head, "That's not what I meant, I meant: what are you going to wear, and what am I going to wear?"

Uninterested, Roxas ran a hand through his tousled blonde locks and shrugged, "I don't know. It doesn't really matter, does it?"

"It does! You have to help me, Rox!" Sora was frantic, as if two hours wasn't enough time to pick a pair of pants and a shirt out of his small quantity of clothing. "Riku wanted to me to come, right?"

Roxas stared, Riku was the cause of this, "Go put something on and I'll tell you whether it's okay or not. Alright, Sora?" He pushed his younger twin away and rolled his icy blue eyes, "Go already. Go put something on."

He thought as he waited for the brunet to return; why Riku? Why the emotionless, coldhearted Riku to cause this fluttering of the young brunet's silly heart? The silver haired boy had nothing to offer, no kind words or even a smile to give; just blank, empty stares and cold jeers from behind. Why would Sora even care?

"Rox!!" Sora jumped out from the room in a red shirt and blue jeans, not all that different from his normal wear. Why did he even bother changing? "Rox, I want you to wear this!"

"What?" The boy raised a single dark eyebrow at the dark shirt Sora was holding up to him. The black had silver stitching down the sides, and a black zipper down the middle, "Why?" The shirt was nothing special, just another black shirt of Sora's that the brunet never wore.

"Please? I'll find you pants too, just wear this," He pushed the black fabric into Roxas's hands, then shoved him into the room; "Put it on."

With a final exasperated sigh, he did as he was told, only to keep the boy from begging anymore. That was what he always did; submit to maintain the peace. The shirt was small on him, tight, because Sora was slighter, and Roxas more husky and short in comparison.

A pair of black pants was thrown in his direction, "Put those on, Rox."

"Sora, why do you—"

"Just do it." Sora was buttoning a yellow shirt, a smile on his child-like face, "I'm your brother, just do it, would you?" He snapped as Roxas started to leave.

Frowning, the blonde did as he was told, and scowled at the pants he was forced into, "They're loose. They'll fall off."

"Good," Sora smirked, "I'm just kidding, there's a belt over here, Rox. Do I look okay?" He spun around, and Roxas actually began to question his sexuality.

"Yeah, great," the fair-haired boy muttered as he slipped the belt around his thin waist. He ruffled his already messy hair with a small sigh, "Why does it matter, Sora? Really?"

His brother made a pained, hesitant face, "No reason."

"Sora, really. I'm your brother, tell me."

"It's nothing."

"You're lying."

"I am _not_."

The two glared at each other, the intensity of the blue eyes almost unbearable to the third brother who entered the room.

"What's with the face-off?"

Sora jumped, but Roxas just turned his scowl to his elder brother, "What do you want, Cloud?"

"Just got home, and not even a 'hi, Cloud'?" He raised an eyebrow at Roxas, "Your shirt's too small."

"It's Sora's," He snapped, bucking the black and white belt.

"Then why are you wearing it?"

"I told him to," the brunet said simply, a gentle smile on his face, "How do I look, Cloud?"

The elder blonde rolled his eyes, but jumped slightly when an icy voice purred from behind him, "You look like an angel, kid."

"Leon!!" Sora ran at the smirking teen, leaping at him in a tight embrace, "Where have you been?"

"College, kid, you know that."

"Yeah, but you never come around anymore!!" Sora dropped to the floor and stared up into the stormy gray eyes, "Even Mom misses you!"

Leon grinned, "She should, but kid, why are you and _sulky_ over there all dressed up?"

"We're going to the fireworks show tonight with Axel and Riku."

Roxas groaned, why, why, why?

"Axel and Riku, huh?" Cloud grinned at his younger brothers, "So, Rox, which one are you—"

"Don't even go there, Cloud," he snarled. Roxas gave all three one last glare before leaving the room, "I'm leaving, Mom!" He exited the small white house with a final slam of the door, slightly irritated. Sora just had to say it, didn't he? Roxas stared into the sky, the setting crimson sun and orange clouds. It was beautiful, like a fire. Like a flickering, whispering flame. It curled around the horizon, the world itself, enveloping everything in existence. Roxas shivered, but somehow felt comforted. If nothing else, he still had the fire—wait. Fire? He let out an exasperated growl and covered his icy blue eyes, Axel again?! Why, why, why?!

"What are you doing here so early, Roxy?"

Axel. He was at the school. Again. Why. Why? Why?!

"I'm walking. What does it look like?"

The redhead flinched, "Sorry?" He ran a hand through the mass of spiked red locks, "I was just…asking."

Roxas let out a short hiss, "No, I'm just kind of frustrated. Didn't mean to snap. Sorry."

Axel's smile returned and he waved a nonchalant hand, "Hey, that's okay, Roxy, you know I get that way too." He frowned once more, "Want to talk about it?"

"Like fire…" the blonde stated softly.

"What?"

"No. Never mind." He blushed, why, why, why was he saying things out loud now? Was he really losing it?! Roxas finally looked up at Axel's confused feline eyes, "Why are you staring?"

"Like fire?" Axel smirked, even in his confusion, "Want to walk with me? I'm going to the café before the fireworks show."

Roxas shook his head, "No."

"Then I'll walk with you, Roxy. Forget the café. I saw Leon with Cloud earlier, how long is Squally staying?"

"I don't know." He actually thought he felt himself bristle at the name. Stupid Leon-Squall-Leonhart. What was he even doing back? With Cloud, no less? He wasn't allowed to date his brother, the worthless—

"So, Rox… How was your day?" Even the blonde saw this as a pathetic attempt to make conversation.

"Why are you even trying, Axel? Really?" Roxas knew it was a harsh thing to say, but it was just easier to brush the redhead off early, don't let either one get attached, right?

If Axel was hurt at all by the snappish retort, he didn't show it, "You have to come to the fireworks show to find out. I have a great spot planned. See, look up there," He gestured to the high school, his smirk growing, "You can't see it, can you?" He shook his head and pointed again, "Look closer."

Roxas rolled his icy eyes, "That's the school, Axel. What's so special about the school?" He flinched when the taller boy pulled him closer and held his arm out over the blonde's shoulder to point, "Ladder. You can't see it unless you know it's there. And I put it there. That's where we'll be. Up there. Best seats in the house. Come on; let's go up there, Rox."

"Axel—no—" he was stiff, but Axel pulled on his arm.

"Come on, come on. You can do it, Roxy." The redhead dragged Roxas to the ladder and nearly pushed him into it, "Go, go."

Frowning, he obeyed. That's what he did. Rox obeyed, and kept the quiet in existence. Submit to maintain the peace. When he finally reached the roof, he turned and sat, a scowl firmly in place.

"Come on, Rox, smile. For me?" Axel plopped himself next to the blonde, a begging expression causing the other to roll his eyes once more.

"Why do you do that? Why do you even try, Axel? Really. Tell me. Everyone tells me I'm antisocial, and I'm okay with that, but you just keep talking, no matter how many times I brush you off." Roxas was surprised at how the words just fell from his mouth, and how quickly the fiery teen beside him ate them up.

"Roxy, you just don't get it. Really. Really, you looked smarter than that. But that's alright. And keep brushing me off, but don't think it'll make me go away." For once, the redhead's eyes were sincere, no joke or smile behind them. He was staring intently at the blonde, who just simply shook his head.

"Whatever, Axel." He drew his knees to his chest and let out a sigh, "People are showing up. It'll start soon."

"Good," the other said quietly.

For a moment, Roxas wondered if he'd hurt the redhead in some way, but he just kept his eyes on the darkened sky. The first star had shown, and the blonde looked down.

"Star light, star bright…" Axel whispered softly, gaining a forced glance from the blonde, "The first star I see tonight…"

Roxas shook his head, but Axel continued to speak in the growing darkness.

"I never knew the rest… That's always as far as I got…"

With a sigh, Roxas looked up to the black sky, to the single luminous star, "…Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might have this wish I wish tonight…"

"Rox…" the redhead's eyes were sparkling with some emotion, some implacable emotion that made Roxas turn to look at him.

"Axel?"

"Rox, if I said… something strange… would you promise to not run away…?"

"Run away…? Depends on what you said, I think…"

Axel suddenly looked as if he could cry, "Roxas… Rox, I think… I think…"

The blonde raised his eyebrows, "Axel?"

The crimson hair fell against the blonde locks, Roxas able to smell the cinnamon scent of Axel's breath. Like fire… He shivered slightly at the feeling, drinking in the soft, shaking breaths of Axel. He was like the fire, as he continued to speak, his voice now a whisper, "Rox… please don't run away from me…"

Like fire. Roxas didn't flinch this time when Axel touched him, didn't jump when the redhead closed the gap between their lips. Like _fire_. He sensed a surge of heat hit him; sure it was from the fire. Fiery, _fiery_ Axel… Roxas felt the hot fingers in his blonde hair and leaned into it. "Fire…" He murmured into the kiss, and felt Axel's lips curl into a smirk.

"Roxy… you won't run away from me…? You're not scared…?"

"I'm not afraid of fire…" He said in a soft voice, "…You are fire, Axel…"

The taller boy sighed before leaning back into the blonde, "I guess so, Roxy… But you're going to be burnt if you stay this close…"

"Then I'll just have to burn, Axel…" With that final statement, Roxas claimed the redhead's lips once more.

Axel really was fire, but Roxas didn't mind, he'd just proclaimed himself a pyromaniac. The whispers of the flame was simply too much to give up.

A/N: Alright, how'd you like it? I made Roxas a little strange, but if you think about it, he was a little strange. And I dedicate this to my Leon. _My_ Leon. Not Squall-Leon.

I guess… that's all. Tell me if anyone knows what exactly a C2 is. I'm still confused on the whole thing. Well, the end. See you all next time!

—Prince Riku—


End file.
